Asia Biomass Energy Cooperation Promotion Office
The production output for harvested rice (unhulled rice) in Cambodia in 2010 came to 8.249 million tons, with this output undergoing a rapid increase of 1.38-fold over a six year period relative to the 5.986 million tons from 2005. Since the yield of rice husks from the harvested rice accounted for about 20%, this means that 1.65 million tons of agricultural biomass were generated in 2010. As for the current uses for these rice husks, while some of them are used to fire bricks and as heat sources for brewing alcohol, the majority of them are abandoned and go unutilized.
The percentage of rice polished in the country remains at 64%, with the remainder exported to places like Vietnam and Thailand at a low price in an unhulled state. In order to break out of this state of affairs and have Cambodian rice gain recognition internationally, the government has laid out the goal of increasing the amount of rice produced and boosting exports of polished rice. In this manner, as the rice production and polishing rates rise an even larger quantity of rice husks will be generated.
The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has started a demonstration and development project using these rice husks in an agricultural region within Cambodia. This project is a tri-benefit project that is characterized by having the following three benefits.
- Raising rice prices and expanding rice exports through the use of highly efficient rice polishing machines
- Supplying electricity to agricultural regions by generating power with rice husks via pyrolytic furnaces
- Improving agricultural soil via the residue from the pyrolytic furnaces (biochar)
The electrification rate in Cambodia is 29% generally, and particularly low for households in rural areas at 12.3%. This project is expected to boost the electrification rate in agricultural regions. The project period will last from November 2011 until March 2013, and has an estimated sum total of 535 million yen.
Fig. Production output for rice (unhulled rice) and the amount of rice husks generated
Source: Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)
(http://www.stats.maff.gov.kh/en/index.php?page=stat&mode=riceproduction&option=com_content&Itemid=47)
Source:
• NEDO press release
(http://www.nedo.go.jp/content/100399132.pdf)
• Overview of the Demonstration and Development Project for Generating Electricity from Rice Husks in Cambodia
(http://www.nedo.go.jp/content/100399122.pdf)
• NEDO Report: Basic Study on the Use of Biomass (Rice Husk) Energy in Agricultural Regions in the Kingdom of Cambodia, May 2011
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